The Zealot's Mistake
by Octavia Delitian
Summary: This is a "missing scene" that I always thought should have been there, in one form or another, for the sake of stirring things. Relg goes on about how wicked women are in front of Durnik, but using Pol as example makes things very unpleasant.


"Aren't you ashamed?"

Durnik, whose thoughts had been elsewhere while he looked at the vast plains, looked up at Relg. "Pardon?" He felt energized now when the dark caves were behind them and patient enough to let the Ulgo vent some of his zeal.

"You seemed like a decent man at first, unbeliever as you are, but now I've witnessed how you are drawn to sin all the same. In fact you are worse than many other men."

"I have to protest against these rude accusations, friend," he said. Nobody else in the group was within earshot as long as they kept a calm, civilized tone. Durnik did not want Barak to get worked up about the Ulgo fanatic's preachings again. "What could I possibly have done to deserve this?"

Relg's face was turned to Durnik as if he was looking at him intently, but his eyes and most of his expression were hidden behind the blindfold he used against the sunlight. "You should stay away from that woman."

"Mistress Pol?" Durnik asked with disbelief. "I have never been anything but polite to her and that just can't be a sin."

"The only reason why men are nice to women is lust," the fanatic said with confidence. "The only way to be decent around women is to stay away from them and never address them." Relg's voice was getting louder as he spoke and Silk, who was standing nearby, seemed to listen with interest.

"I can assure you that Mistress Pol thinks you are the rude one when you act like that around her."

"It's not a matter of what she thinks. Women are flighty and morally decayed. They'll marry any corrupted man who runs after them like that."

Durnik's face darkened. "You're going too far. Stop this now or you _will_ regret ever opening your mouth."

Relg was too worked up to quit now though. He had taken his theological reasoning beyond the point of no return and had to share his knowledge with the world. "If she is like other women, she is happy to bring sin to men and she has more gifts than ordinary women to aid her. I have been watching you. I see how you flatter her - do her bidding as if under a wicked spell. You stare at her with lustful eyes, ready to sin whenever your temptress wishes."

Durnik wanted to shout, punch him, throw him to the ground – part of him wanted to kill him. He was too upset to utter a syllable though. All he could do was reach for the cloth that covered the Ulgo's eyes.

The scream alerted the others, who came running and saw Relg lying face down on the ground.

"Don't..." Durnik was too upset to speak without a tremble. "Don't _ever _say such a thing again!"

Belgarath ran up to Durnik's side, face reddened with anger. "What did you do? _You_ of all people!"

"I didn't touch him." Durnik threw the cloth back at Relg, who was rolling around on the ground, covering his eyes with his hands.

"I saw everything," Silk said, sounding a bit amused. "Relg got a bit blinded. Unless he's rolling over some sharp rocks right now, he's completely unblemished. You can hardly blame poor Durnik here for self-induced harm. Relg has shown before that he's very capable of doing that to himself without any reasons."

Mistress Pol was looking at him with threatening eyes and her hands on her hips. "What could he possibly say that would upset you so?"

"I can't tolerate him speaking about you like that." Durnik gave Silk a pleading look, hoping that he would keep quiet.

"_Me_?" Now her anger was directed towards the Ulgo instead. "What did he say? More misogynist madness?"

"More what?" Durnik had never heard that word before.

"I only told him the truth," Relg whined as he tried to tie back his blindfold. "But he can't handle it."

"Quiet, or I'll kick you back to the peak of Prolgu!"

"Calm down, Durnik," Mistress Pol said and put a comforting hand on his arm. "Just ignore him."

Relg, who had gotten his eyesight back now, saw this. "You sicken me. Both of you!" He rose to his feet and stumbled away from the group.

"Where are you going?" Belgarath asked irritably. "You'd better come back here!"

"I need another hour of purification. The clothes I got from that man turned out to be filthier than I thought!"


End file.
